Atrial fibrillation is a common problem that afflicts millions of patients. Atrial fibrillation often results in the formation of a thrombus, or clot, in the appendage of the left atrium. This presents a problem, inasmuch as the thrombus can dislodge and embolize to distant organs, which may result in adverse events such as a stroke. For this reason, most patients with atrial fibrillation are treated with one or more blood thinners to help prevent the formation of a thrombus. Blood thinners, however, can present health risks of their own, especially in the elderly. These risks, such as bleeding, often require a user to make significant lifestyle changes.
Several methods have been developed to address the potential problem of thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage. One such method includes suturing the left atrial appendage along the base or ostial neck where it joins the atrial chamber. In this way, blood flow into the atrial appendage is cut off, eliminating the risk of thrombus formation therein. This is typically done through open-heart surgery, which limits the availability of the procedure to those who are at a particularly high risk, or who are otherwise undergoing an open-heart procedure. In addition, open-heart surgery requires general anesthesia and has a number of well-known risks, making it less desirable.
Other methods have also been investigated. These methods include methods of stapling the base of the appendage and methods of filling the appendage with a space occupying or occluding member. Stapling is not preferred given the fragility of the appendage and its tendency to rupture, while occlusion devices may not effectively prevent all blood flow into the appendage.
Additional devices and methods for closing the left atrial appendage or other suitable tissues would therefore be desirable. In particular, devices and methods for closing the left atrial appendage using minimally invasive, intravascular, or a combination of these techniques, would be desirable in order to avoid the need for opening the chest. Of course, additional devices for use in open surgical procedures are desirable as well, especially when those devices offer additional advantages over standard devices.